The future Internet of Things (IoT) will feature the internetworking of physical devices, vehicles, buildings and other “things” embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and/or network connectivity that enable these objects to collect and exchange data. The IoT will allow objects to be sensed and/or controlled remotely across existing network infrastructure, creating opportunities for more direct integration of the physical world into computer-based systems, and resulting in improved efficiency, accuracy and economic benefit.
Each connected thing in the future IoT may be uniquely identifiable through its embedded computing system but still able to interoperate within the existing Internet infrastructure. Experts estimate that the IoT will consist of almost 50 billion objects by 2020.
This burgeoning IoT will feature an ever-widening focus on machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. In such a world where physical objects are more networked than ever and will be having their own conversations around us, questions remain about what the future will hold for human-to-machine (H2M) communication. Human participants may feel increasingly disembodied as they stare at diminutive displays, manipulate their fingers across glass surfaces with unnatural swiping, spreading, and pinching motions, and read automated social media messages created by software applications.